Expensive Christmas gifts are typically pretty good. Someone else spends their hard-earned money on you, and it makes you feel loved.

No one expects to be happy about being given a six-figure debt for Christmas, but Lori Boone sure was.

Habitat for Humanity worked with donors and the city of Suffolk over the past few years to build nine homes on Lake Kennedy Drive, and on Christmas Eve, Lori Boone and her daughter moved into their new home, which was the last of the nine to be occupied.

A common misconception, though, is that Habitat for Humanity homes are a handout. Like all new homeowners through Habitat for Humanity, Boone technically wasn’t given the home. She was gifted a home that came with a mortgage.

Boone was more than happy to take on the debt of a new home. Being given a mortgage was an amazing gift for Ms. Boone, because it gave her the chance to restart her life and provide something better for herself and her family.

Seeing someone show excitement about taking on a new debt makes you rethink what you have.

I pay a slew of bills every month, and I pay a mountain of student loans. Sometimes I feel a lot of anger towards all of those things, but seeing Lori Boone take on a mortgage with love and happiness makes me feel more grateful.

Yes, I have to pay rent, but it means that I am grateful to actually have a roof over my head and I’m able to afford that roof.

It’s the same thing with my student loans. As much as I believe that college shouldn’t be as expensive, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to get an education.

Habitat for Humanity has given nine families just in the Lake Kennedy neighborhood the opportunity to reclaim their lives and provide a house for their families.

Working to pay off their mortgage isn’t the only work they had to do for the homes, though. Habitat for Humanity makes sure that families moving into the homes are absolutely grateful for what they have.

Homeowners have to put in 200 hours of “sweat equity.” That means 200 hours of building houses or working in their retail store. That’s amazing.

Lori Boone was more than happy to do it, and it showed her daughter that hard work and dedication can mean a home.

Her daughter, Kiana, even called her a superwoman because of what she did to get a home.

Christmas is a great time of year, and getting the chance to cover stories like this make Christmas even better.